Composite poles with an integral mandrel and methods for making the same

ABSTRACT

The invention is a composite pole with an integral mandrel therein and methods of making the same. A preferred embodiment is a fiberglass reinforced resin composite pole such as a utility pole or a lighting pole. The integral mandrel is preferably an expanded plastic foam such as expanded polystyrene. The integral mandrel is contoured to be in the desired inside configuration of the composite pole and fiber reinforced composite naterial is applied to the mandrel. The pole is used with the mandrel remaining therein, thus strengthening the pole. Passages may be placed into the mandrel for routing conduits and pipes as desired

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention pertains to composite poles, such as utility poles, lightpoles and antennas having an integral foam core and methods of makingand using them.

2. Description of the Prior Art

There is a substantial prior art with respect to composite poles such asutility power transmission poles, light poles, and the like, and methodsof making them. Composite poles refers to the fact that the poles areformed from a combination of different materials each of which maintainstheir identities in the combination to produce a superior result thancould be achieved from the individual materials. The composite formaking poles is generally fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP), typicallyfiberglass fibers in a resin matrix, producing what is generally calleda fiberglass pole. The reinforcing fibers are not limited to fiberglass,however, and can include the likes of asbestos, jute, sisal, aramidfibers, carbon fibers, and synthetic fibers, though fiberglass hastypically been associated with large poles. Resin refers to any polymerthat is the matrix for a composite, such as epoxies, polyesters,acrylics and other polymers. The major requirement is that thereinforcing material forms a strong bond to the resin.

The process for making fiberglass poles involves forming a hollow tubewhile the resin is in a plastic state and then curing the resin. Curingrefers to the process of converting the resin from a plastic state to ahardened state by application of heat, catalyst, ultra-violet light orreactants (curing agents) which convert the resin into a hardenedstructure, generally three dimensional cross linked structure, which isinsoluble and will decompose before it melts.

There are two principal classes of processes known in the prior art formaking composite, principally fiberglass poles. These are known asfilament winding and pultrusion. A third alternative is a hybrid offilament winding and pultrusion.

Filament winding refers to a process for making an FRP in which acontinuous filament or tape is treated with resin and wound onto amandrel (a metal form whose outer shape is the same size as the desiredinner surface of a pole under construction) in a predetermined pattern.The process is performed by drawing the filament from a spool or creel(a creel is a spool and supporting structure) through a bath of resin,then winding it onto the mandrel under controlled tension and in apredetermined pattern. The mandrel may be stationary, in which case thecreel structure rotates above the mandrel, or it may be rotated on alathe about one or more axes. After a sufficient number of layers havebeen wound the resin is cured and the hardened hollow pole is removedfrom the mandrel.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,727 to Hardy-The McLain, which is herebyincorporated herein in its entirety by reference, disclosed an apparatusand method for preparing a member by wrapping a mandrel with discretelayers of fiber by applying filaments in expanded helices whileselectively varying the lead angle of helically disposed fibers alongthe length of the member. This is accomplished with a unique apparatusthat controls the relative axial and rotational movement between awinding head, which dispensed the filament, and the mandrel. Thisinvention is particularly useful in applying filament to a taperedmandrel to make a tapered pole.

Since one of the major problems with composite poles is the cost, it isparticularly desirable to minimize the amount of fiberglass component.It is common to make tapered poles with a base having a larger diameterthan the tip. When a tapered pole is made by applying windings from baseto tip to provide layers of fiber reinforced resin on a tapered mandrel,the resulting pole tends to have a thicker wall at the basis. This isthe opposite of what would be desired based on the strength requirementfor a pole and results in loss of some of the economies of tapered polesU.S. Pat. No. 5,492,579 to Hosford, which is hereby incorporated hereinin its entirety by reference, disclosed a computer modeled pole in whichthe layers do not extend the entire length of the pole, thus allowing apole with longitudinal zones, having thicker walls at the base, thinwalls at the tip and intermediate wall thickness between the base andthe tip, and approximate minimum weight for a pole of a given strength.Filament winding is a preferred method of making circular cross sectionpoles.

The second class of processes for making composite poles is pultrusion.Pultrusion refers to a continuous process for manufacturing compositeswith a constant cross-sectional shape. The process consists of pulling afiber reinforcing material through a resin impregnation bath and into ashaping die where the resin is subsequently cured. The fiber reinforcingHeating to both gel and cure the resin is sometimes accomplishedentirely within the die length, which can be on the order of 76 cm (30inches) long. In other variations of the process, preheating of theresin-wet reinforcement is accomplished by dielectric energy prior toentry into the die, or heating may be continued in an oven afteremergence from the die. U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,819, to Kelsey, which ishereby incorporated herein by reference, discloses use of pultrusion tomake hollow composite utility poles having diametrical reinforcingstruts which add strength to the hollow pole. Pultrusion may pullstrands, rovings (a collection of parallel strands which are not twistedtogether), spun roving (a collection of teisted or braided strands), ormats (randomly oriented chopped filaments or swirled filaments with abinder cut to the contour of a mold). Pultrusion may produce a tubewhich is unsupported and merely sawed into lengths after hardening.Alternatively the form may be shaped around a mandrel. Pultrusion is apreferred way of making non-circular cross section poles.

Pulwell Industries (Zhongshan Pulwell Composites Co; Ltd) has avariation known as pullwinding which combines the pultrusion andfilament winding methods, by pulling a longitudinal composite layer ontoa mandrel followed by applying helically wound layers by filamentwinding. This approach supplies a tube with high crush strength as wellas the stiffness of pultruded poles

It is known in the prior art, that the use of a core material sandwichedbetween composite layers can reduce the cost and add strength to alaminated structure. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,747 to King, an insultedcross arm for supporting wires on a utility pole is disclosed,comprising an outer shell of polyester resin and a inner core ofpolyurethane form. Also in U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,477 to Farber discloses acomposite, tapered poles made in segments which are assembled to make ahollow, tapered pole when assembled. In one of Farber's preferredembodiments the segments are made of an outer skin and an inner skin offiber reinforced resin with a foam block “core” bonded between them inthe annual space between the outer skin and the inner skis The word“core” in this context refers to the central layer of a laminate towhich the outer layers of the laminate are attached.

While composite poles have many valuable uses, there is a need forimprovement in several areas.

There is a need for less expensive composite poles. There is a need forless expensive composite poles by reducing the wall thickness of thepoles. There is a need for improved and simplified methods ofconstruction of composite poles.

There is a need for composite poles with greater strength that is notsimply accomplished by thicker walls.

Composite poles made by existing processes of filament winding andpultrusion are by their very nature hollow poles (allowing for internalstruts as described above in Farber). The original use was as asubstitute for wooden utility distribution poles. In this application,the function of the original wooden pole can be mimicked without routingconduit or other vessels through the pole. However, in otherapplications the interior of the pole is very important For example,light poles, power poles (e.g. poles for connecting to undergroundwires), and antennas, all have internal wires which could be providedfor in the pole. Also, other mixed use poles could be used to routepower lines, data lines, optical lines, and process lines such as lubeoil or coolant. There is a need for composite poles having internalprovision for routing wires, conduit, process lines and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One preferred embodiment of the invention is a process for making acomposite pole including the steps of shaping an integral mandrel intothe form desired for the pole's interior and then applying a pluralityof layers of reinforced composite material to the integral mandrel toform a pole including the composite material and the integral mandrel.The reinforced composite material includes a matrix component and areinforcing component. The matrix components are resinous materials suchas epoxies, polyesters, acrylics, phenolics, or urea-formaldehyde resinsthat cure to form a bond with the reinforcing material. The reinforcingcomponent is a fibrous material such as fiberglass, aramid fibers,carbon fibers, or any of the other fibers that can be used for makingfiber-reinforced plastics. In some cases a very desirable pole can bemade from a combination of fibers, such as combination of fiberglass andaramid or carbon fibers. In general, the requirement is that the choiceof matrix and reinforcing components be such that the matrix forms astrong bond with the reinforcing component.

The integral mandrel is preferably fabricated from an expandedinsulating foam, preferably expanded polystyrene foam. Alternativepreferred mandrel materials include extruded polystyrene and rigidpolyisocyanate. Depending on the type of foam or plastic and the type ofcomposite, the foam or plastic may be coated or otherwise treated toimpart protection from the composite while the composite is beingapplied to the at least one integral mandrel prior to the matrixreaching a cured condition. The integral mandrel is said to be integralbecause it is not separated from the composite to form a hollow tube asin the prior art poles, but it serves as a mandrel during fabricationand remains an integral part of the finished pole. Since an integralmandrel becomes part of the finished pole, its utility is much greaterthan merely being a form for the inside surface of the composite as inprior art mandrels. In particular an integral mandrel can advantageouslybe provided with longitudinal passages or chases through which wires,conduits, or pipes can be conveniently placed while being thermally andelectrically isolated by the insulating foam. Expanded foams such aspolystyrene can be precisely contoured by hot wire shaping in lengths ofup to ten or fifteen feet and diameters up to at east three feet. Forlonger poles the integral mandrel is made in longitudinal sectionsshaped to align with each other. The sections are then butted end to endto form the integral mandrel. In most cases, the integral mandrel willhave a central passage that can be placed onto a rod to assemble thesections and to hold the integral mandrel while the composite is beingapplied.

Any of the prior art methods for applying a composite to a mandrel, suchas filament winding, pultrusion and pullwinding can be used with anintegral mandrel. The conditions for operation must be consistent withthe properties of the properties of the integral mandrel material. Forexample in the case of expanded polystyrene, the maximum use temperatureis about 160° F. and the choice of matrix and/or pretreatment of theintegral mandrel must be compatible with applying and curing thecomposite below this temperature. Pretreatment of the integral mandrelcan include such steps as applying an external polyethylene envelope,sealing a polystyrene integral mandrel with plastic cement or applying asealer such as a Portland cement—polymer mixture of the type that isoften used to seal polystyrene foam in construction applications.Another optional approach is to use composite layers having differentmatrix components. For instance applying a first layer which iscompatible with and protective of the mandrel and subsequent layerswhich have other desired properties.

Another aspect of the invention is a composite pole comprising anintegral mandrel therein. A preferred embodiment of a composite polecomprises a fiberglass containing composite and a polystyrene integralmandrel having at least one chase through the interior of the integralmandrel. Poles can be any shape commonly used for poles, such as rightcylinders of circular or polygonal horizontal cross section, or taperedcylinders.

Another aspect is a method for routing a plurality of components througha pole comprising the steps of fabricating at least one integral mandrelhaving a passage for each of the plurality of components, applying aplurality of layers of reinforced composite material to the at last oneintegral mandrel, and routing the plurality of components through theplurality of passages.

The use of an integral mandrel in making a pole simplifies the polemanufacture because it is not necessary to extract the reinforcedcomposite tube from the mandrel. Also, for a given pole strength, lesswall thickness is required, and fewer layers of reinforced compositeneed to be applied.

The integral mandrel strengthens the pole, thus reducing the wallthickness of the composite required to achieve a particular strength.

The integral mandrel can be adapted to provide insulated passages forwires, conduits and process pipes through the pole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects ard advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with regard to the followingdescription, appended claims and accompanying drawings, where:

FIG. 1 shows a top view of a circular cylindrical pole.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of a square cross section pole.

FIG. 3 shows a top view of an octagonal cross section pole.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cutaway view of a pole in a first configurationwhere the pole is supported by an above ground collar.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cutaway view of a pole in a second configurationwhere the pole extends into the ground for support.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a tapered pole.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The invention pertains to improved composite poles and methods formaking them. Composite poles are well known in the art and arefrequently used to support electrical and/or telephonic distributionwires (distribution poles) and light poles. Composite distribution poleshave advantages over wooden poles because they can be much lighter thantheir wooden counterparts and do not need to be treated with dangerouspreservatives. As previously discussed, prior art composite poles havebeen hollow poles, often formed on a steel mandrel having the desiredshape of the interior surface of the hollow pole. The hollow pole isextracted from the mandrel after the composite cures. The instantinvention relies on forming the composite around an integral mandrelthat will stay with the pole and provide useful benefits not previouslyknown in the prior art.

It should be understood that as applied herein the following terminologywill be used as defined below in a manner not inconsistent with the waythe terms are used in the art.

A composite material refers to a multiphase material formed from acombination of materials which differ in composition or form, remainbonded together, and retain their identities and properties.

A fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) refers to a composite structuralmaterial containing high-strength fibrous material embedded in aresinous matrix which when the resin cures develop mechanical propertiesgreatly superior than the base resin. In the current context the fiberis often fiberglass, hence the incorrect usage that FRC refers toofiberglass reinforced composite.

A resin refers to any polymer that is used as a matrix in composites tocontain the reinforcement material.

Curing refers to the change in the properties of a plastic or resin bychemical reaction, for example by condensation, polymerization, oraddition. Curing may occur in the presence of elevated temperature,pressure, or catalysts.

Curing agents refers to substances or mixtures of substances added to apolymer composition to promote or control the curing reaction. An agentwhich does not enter into the reaction is known as a catalytic hardeneror catalyst. A reactive curing agent or hardener is generally used inmuch greater amounts than a catalyst, and actually enters into thereaction. Crosslinking agents are distinguished from catalysts becausethey react with molecules and are coupled directly into the cured systemas a structural member of the polymer.

Fiber refers to a single homogeneous strand of material having a lengthof at least 5 mm, which can be spun into a yarn or roving, or made intoa fabric.

Filament refers to a long continuous fiber used in making a FRC pole.

A mat is a fibrous material for reinforced plastic consisting ofrandomly oriented chopped filaments or swirled filaments with a bindercut to the contour of a mold. Mats are available in blankets of variouswidths, lengths and weights.

A strand is a bundle of filaments in a single compact unit without atwist.

A roving is a number of strands collected into a parallel bundle.

A spool is a cylindrical piece about which a filament is wound.

A creel is a spool and its supporting structure on which continuousstrands or rovings of reinforcing material are wound.

A mandrel is a form around which pultruded or filament wound poles areshaped.

An integral mandrel is a form around which a composite pole is shapedand which remains an integral part of the finished pole.

Tape refers to a unidirectional fiber or filament impregnated withresin.

The filament winding process is one of the principal processes formaking a composite pole. It refers to an automated process in whichcontinuous filament (or tape) is treated with resin and wound on amandrel in a helical pattern. Reinforcements commonly used are singlestands or rovings of glass, asbestos, carbon, aramid, jute, sisal,cotton and synthetic fibers, while the resins include epoxies,polyesters, acrylics, phenolics, urea-formaldehydes and others. To beeffective, the reinforcing material must form a strong adhesive bondwith the resin. The process is performed by drawing the reinforcementfrom a spool or creel through a bath of resin, then winding it on themandrel under controlled tension and in a predetermined pattern. Themandrel may be stationary, in which event the creel structure rotatesabove the mandrel, or it may be rotated on a lathe about one or moreaxes. By varying the relative amounts of resin and reinforcement, andthe pattern of winding, the strength of filament wound structures may becontrolled to resist stresses in specific directions. After sufficientlayers have been wound, the structure is cured. Filament winding isdiscussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,089,727 and 5,492,579.

Pultrusion is a second principal process for making composite poles. Itrefers to a continuous process for manufacturing composites with aconstant cross-sectional shape. The process consists of pulling a fiberreinforcing material through a resin impregnation bath and into ashaping die where the resin is subsequently cured. In most cases, thecomposite is gelled and cured by heating within the die, which can be onthe order of 76 cm (30 inches) long. In other variations of the process,curing continues beyond the die while the pole is formed around amandrel. The pultrusion process yields continuous lengths of materialwith high unidirectional strengths. Pultrusion is discussed in U.S. Pat.No. 4,803,819.

Pullwinding is a hybrid of pultrusion and filament winding processes. Inpullwinding filaments are pulled onto mandrel while other filaments arewound onto the mandrel in a helical pattern. This combination produces apole with high strength both axially and radially.

One aspect of the invention is a process for making a composite polecomprising shaping an integral mandrel to a desired internalconfiguration and then applying layers of composite material to theintegral mandrel.

The process can be advantageously applied to producing so-calledfiberglass poles, though it is not limited to fiberglass and may beapplied to other fibers such as but not limited to aramid or carbonfibers. A preferred material for an integral mandrel is an expandedinsulating foam, more preferably expanded polystyrene foam. Alternativemandrel materials com extruded polystyrene and rigid polyisocyanate.Expanded polystyrene can be precisely contoured using hot wire shaping,technology which is in wide use today and is well known to those skilledin the art. Pieces can be readily handled in the range of diameters upto about three feet and lengths up to about 10 to 15 feet. Longer polescan be made by using an integral mandrel in separate longitudinalsections of 10 to 15 feet butted together.

An integral mandrel is shaped on its outer surface to conform to theshape desired for the composite portion of the pole that will be formedaround it. The integral mandrel is also, preferably, shaped on theinterior to provide longitudinal passages. In most applications, theintegral mandrel has at least one longitudinal passage in the centerthat will be used to hold it on a rod when the composite is applied.

Other longitudinal passages are formed into integral mandrel to conformto the use intended for the pole. Insulating foam has many desirableproperties as a material for an integral mandrel, such as thermal andelectrical insulating properties. Polystyrene foams are also availablewith high antistatic properties such as expanded polystyrene made fromDYLITE™ X44-SF antistatic expandable polystyrene (ARCO Chemical).Antistatic foam would be advantageously applied to routing DC powerlines through a pole between a wind turbine and an inverter to preventline losses.

Expanded polystyrene is also available in forms that provide magneticshielding. This form of integral mandrel would be desirable forisolating data transmission lines.

The insulating and isolating properties of a foam integral mandrel allowmixed use poles having a plurality of passages filled with variousconduits routing electrical wires, signal lines, fiber optic lines, andprocess flows such as grease, oil, or coolant. The many applications anduses will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The presence of an integral mandrel in the finished pole also providesadditional strength compared to a conventional hollow pole, thereforethe requisite thickness of the composite, i.e. the number of layers ofreinforced composite put on the mandrel, is reduced due to the presenceof the integral mandrel in the pole. This effect is illustrated inExample 1, with respect to the increase in moment of inertia of a hollowpole and a pole with an integral mandrel. It important to note that themaximum improvement in moment of inertia is achieved with poles madeaccording to the instant invention, because the moments of thecomponents (the hollow tube and the integral mandrel) are additive.Moments of bodies are additive only when they are bound together so thatthey react as a single unit.

Layers of composite material are applied to the integral mandrel by thesame types of processes that are used for forming conventional hollowpoles on conventional mandrels. One preferred method is filament windingwhere filaments treated with resin are wound about the mandrel asfilaments, strands, rovings, or tapes to form layers. Many ways ofwinding are possible within the scope of the invention, preferredmethods and patterns include those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,089,727and 5,492,579, where the later applies particularly to tapered poles.

It is important to note that the choice of composite materials andoperating conditions particularly for curing the resin must becompatible with the properties of the integral mandrel. For apolystyrene foam integral mandrel the mandrel should not be heated aboveabout 140 to 160° C., also polystyrene will dissolve in many organicsolvents. The temperature limitation favors epoxy resins and ureaformaldehyde resins that cure at low temperature. Curing agents andcatalysts are preferred to heat for curing the resinous matrix.

A preferred option is to treat the formed foam prior to applying thecomposite. Preferred treatments include applying a film coating, such asa polyethylene coating prior to applying the composite. Anothertreatment is to apply a protective coating such as are commonly used toprotect polystyrene foam in construction applications, such as apolymer—Portland cement mixture. Another alternative is to dip the foammandrel in plastic cement.

The conduits and pipes may be inserted in the longitudinal passageseither before or after application of the composite. They are preferablyinserted prior to application of the composite.

Pultrusion can also be used to apply the composite to the integralmandrel. In this case filaments, strands, or rovings impregnated withresin are pulled axially on to the integral mandrel with or without aforming die. Pultrusion can also be used by pulling a mat onto themandrel. The same considerations apply here as with filament windingwith respect to operating conditions and materials. In this applicationof pultrusion, it is preferred not to cure the resinous matrix byheating the extrusion die, but rather to cure on the mandrel due tochemical and/or catalytic reaction.

Pullwinding can be applied to an integral mandrel by pulling axiallayers and winding helical layers.

The process can be applied well to tapered poles, right cylindricalpoles, poles with circular or elliptical, or polygonal horizontal crosssection. A long pole is made by using a mandrel having a plurality ofsections. The passages are aligned from section to section. The sectionsare threaded onto a rod through a central longitudinal passage and heldtogether at the ends so that the sections butt end to end.

EXAMPLE 1

This example shows how the strength of a pole with an integral mandrelis stronger than a hollow pole for a given wall thickness, or in thealternative a pole need have less wall thickness for a given strength.

The moment of inertia is a term used to describe the ability of a crosssection to resist bending.

For a hollow cylinder the moment of inertia, I, is given by equation(1).I=(½)(M)(b ² +a ²)  (1)

Where: I is the moment of inertia, M is the mass of the hollow cylinder,b is the outside radius of the cylinder, and a is the inside radius ofthe cylinder.

The moment of inertia of a solid cylinder is given by equation (2).I=(½)(M)(a)²  (2)

Were a is the radius of the cylinder.

For a hollow pole with an integral mandrel the overall moment is the sumof the two parts.

The density of the fiberglass composite is 120 pounds per cubic foot,and the density of the expanded fiberglass foam is 3 pounds per cubicfoot. The comparison below shows the moment of inertia for a hollow poleand for a pole with integral mandrel for a 40-foot high pole with36-inch diameter, and 0.3-inch wall thickness.

-   -   I (hollow pole)=2482 pound−foot squared    -   I (pole and integral mandrel)=3373 pound−foot squared

Put another way, a wall thickness for the tube and mandrel of only 0.19inches has a moment equal to the 0.30-inch hollow pole.

Another preferred embodiment is a composite pole having an integralmandrel therein. The composite pole comprises an outer composite portionmade up of a resinous matrix and reinforcing fibers. Preferred matrixmaterials include epoxies, polyesters, acrylics, phenolics, andurea-formaldehydes. Preferred reinforcing fibers include fiberglass,aramid fibers and carbon fibers. The integral mandrel is preferably anexpanded insulating foam, more preferably expanded polystyrene foam. Theintegral mandrel preferably contains longitudinal passages, which may befilled with various wires, conduits, and pipes. The pipe cross sectioncan be circular, elliptical, or polygonal. The pole may be eithertapered or right cylindrical.

Turning to the figures, FIG. 1 shows a circular cross section pole 100with an integral mandrel 102, a composite outer wall 104, andlongitudinal passages (chases) 106, 107, and 108 which may carry fluids,electrical wires, optical fiber lines, radio signal carriers, and thelike.

FIG. 2 shows similarly a square cross section pole 110, with an integralmandrel 112, a composite outer wall 114, and longitudinal passages(chases) 116, 117, and 118 which may carry fluids, electrical wires,optical fiber lines, radio signal carriers, and the like.

FIG. 3 shows an octagonal cross section pole 120, with an integralmandrel 122, a composite outer wall 124, and longitudinal passages(chases) 126, 127, and 128 which may carry fluids, electrical wires,optical fiber lines, radio signal carriers, and the like.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cutaway, of a pole 130 supported by an above groundcollar 131. The cutaway view shows the outer composite wall 134, andthree conduits 136, 137, and 138 filling vertical passages in theintegral mandrel 132. The conduits exit at the bottom of the pole belowground level 133.

FIG. 5 shows a similar pole 140 supported by a portion of the poleconcreted below ground level 143 from the concreted section 141. Thecutaway view shows the outer composite wall 144, and three conduits 146,147, and 148 filling vertical passages in the integral mandrel 142

FIG. 6 shows a tapered pole 160, with a composite wall 164, an integralmandrel consisting of two parts 162, and 163 and a single conduit 166.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detailwith reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions arepossible. Therefore the spirit and scope of the appended claims shouldnot be limited to the preferred versions herein.

1. A composite pole comprising an outer shell of a composite material and an integral mandrel therein, wherein the outer shell is formed about the integral mandrel, wherein the integral mandrel defines at least one longitudinal passage.
 2. The composite pole of claim I wherein the composite material comprises a matrix component and a reinforcing component.
 3. The composite pole of claim 2 wherein the reinforcing component comprises a material chosen from the group consisting of fiberglass, aramid fibers, and carbon fibers.
 4. The composite pole of claim 2 wherein the matrix component comprises a resinous material chosen from the group consisting of material chosen from the group consisting of epoxies, polyesters, acrylics, phenolic resins, and urea-formaldehyde resins.
 5. The composite pole of claim 1 wherein the integral mandrel comprises an expanded or extruded insulating foam.
 6. The composite pole of claim 5 wherein the expanded or extruded insulating foam comprises polystyrene foam.
 7. The composite pole of claim 1 wherein the integral mandrel comprises a material chosen from the group consisting of expanded polystyrene, extruded polystyrene, and rigid polyisocyanate.
 8. The composite pole of claim 1 wherein the integral mandrel comprises a plurality of longitudinal sections.
 9. The composite pole of claim 1 wherein the horizontal cross section of the integral mandrel is chosen from the group consisting of circles, ellipses, and polygons.
 10. The composite pole of claim 1 wherein the vertical cross section of the integral mandrel is tapered.
 11. The composite pole of claim 1 wherein the vertical cross section of the integral mandrel is a right cylinder.
 12. The composite pole of claim 1 wherein the moment of inertia of the composite pole is greater than the moment of inertia of a hollow pole comprising said outer shell.
 13. The composite pole of claim 2 wherein the integral mandrel comprises a protective coating for protecting said mandrel from attack by the matrix component.
 14. The composite pole of claim 1 wherein the pole is made by a filament-winding process, a pultrusion process or a pullwinding process.
 15. The composite pole of claim 1 with an antenna wire routed through the at least one longitudinal passage.
 16. The composite pole of claim 1 with a power wire routed through the at least one longitudinal passage.
 17. The composite pole of claim 1 wherein the at least one longitudinal passage comprises a plurality of longitudinal passages and wherein the plurality of longitudinal passages contain a plurality of conduits, one conduit to a passage, where there are at least two conduits chosen from the group consisting of electrical wires, communication wires, and fluid flows.
 18. A composite pole comprising an outer shell of a composite material and at least one integral mandrel therein, wherein the outer shell is formed about the at least one integral mandrel, wherein the at least one integral mandrel defines at least one longitudinal passage.
 19. The composite pole of claim 18 wherein the integral mandrel comprises a plurality of longitudinal sections, wherein the at least one longitudinal passage is in alignment relationship among the plurality of longitudinal sections.
 20. The composite pole of claim 18 wherein the at least one integral mandrel comprises expanded polystyrene foam. 